Email this article to a friend

The former co-head of equity capital markets at UBS has re-emerged in the charitable sector as a director at New Philanthropy Capital, a research firm that applies the discipline of equity research to advise wealthy individuals and foundations on making effective charitable donations.

James Garvin, who worked at UBS and SG Warburg for 21 years, has joined NPC as director of advisory services, a role in which he will promote the use of company’s research on individual charities and sectors to potential donors.

His move is the latest example of senior figures in the securities industry shifting their focus to the charitable sector. In April this year Stanley Fink stepped down as chief executive of the listed hedge fund manager Man Group to focus on philanthropy.

NPC was founded in 2001 by a group of former partners at Goldman Sachs with the aim of analysing the performance of different charities and measuring the impact of donations to them. Its team of more than 20 analysts advise donors on how and where they can give their money most effectively. NPC charges a fee to donors for this advice to cover its costs.

Garvin, who left UBS in the spring, said: “NPC has shown that effective philanthropy goes hand in hand with good research and analysis. After two decades in the City, I am very excited to be joining such a fast-growing organisation that uses research to promote effective charities.”

NPC operates in an increasingly competitive market, with rivals such as the UK-based Institute for Philanthropy and Geneva Global, an international organisation based in the US that has more than 120 staff and has advised on more than $58m (€41.4m) of donations in 110 countries, according to its website.